Akumu
by Spunky0ne
Summary: When Aizen Sousuke escapes Muken, a special team pursues him into Hueco Mundo. Little do they know the nightmare that awaits them...Byakuya/Ichigo/Ren(OC), Renji/Tetsuya and maybe others...yaoi, mpreg.
1. Not Meant to Be

**Akumu ('Nightmare')**

**By Spunky0ne**

**(A request by Henka-chan)**

**(This is a Byakuya/Ichigo/Ren (OC), Renji/Tetsuya story)**

**XXXXXXXXXX**

**Chapter 1: Not Meant to Be**

Aizen Sousuke gazed quietly at the computer screen in front of him, his fingers moving deftly over the keyboard as he watched the changes in the display in front of him. He made a soft sound of approval as they reflected what he had hoped to see and he added a fresh set of data to what had already been collected.

"Ah, I see," he whispered, half to himself and half directed towards the unconscious shinigami that laid on the nearby examination table, "Very crafty, Urahara Kisuke. I have always said that of all of the minds in the Seireitei, yours is the one that exceeds mine. But...you are too easily manipulated. As you can see, it has led you to yield all of your hard work to me. Although you tried so hard to hide it, I know your secret. I know what you and I both created. But neither works properly, and I want to know why. This search could take some time. And while we wait, there is a test you will help me with. My apologies for not asking politely, but I don't think you would have approved. As you see, approval isn't necessary now. Despite any objection you would make, I will have what only you can give me...my power and your mind made one. This one will be a dream, Urahara Kisuke...or for you...a _nightmare_."

He rose from his seat and approached his captive slowly, pausing at a console at his bedside to press several buttons. He watched as several soft beeps sounded and pale fluid within a large vial was sent into the other man's body through a tube that had been inserted into his abdominal cavity.

"This, Urahara Kisuke, is our dream," he said softly, watching as the fluid seeped into the spirit chamber he had implanted in the man, "This is the mating of our two souls. The greatest shinigami mind and the greatest shinigami power, blended together and made one. Don't worry. This will not harm you. You will never even know that it happened. The drug I will give you will make you forget. And you will be home and safe in your bed before you ever know you were gone. I regret you will never know this one exists, but if you did, you might destroy him. You did, after all, say that this power was too terrible for the three worlds to manage. I don't share your pessimism. I choose to believe that we will be successful."

Aizen went quiet, then, watching as the last of the fluid entered the spirit chamber in his colleague's restrained body. Several of the machines around Kisuke beeped and hummed, and Aizen's eyes widened as the spirit chamber was brought to life. He leaned over the other man's body, laying his hands on the pale skin of his exposed abdomen and feeling the swell of power under his fingers and palms. And slowly, as the area glowed softly, the restrained man's abdomen began to swell.

"Ideally, I would like to have taken this more slowly," Aizen said dulcetly, "but I don't think that even I could keep you restrained like this for long. You would eventually escape. This will put a strain on your body and may weaken you for a time, but don't worry. Even though I could kill you right now, I won't. You, my friend, are far too useful in my plans. Yes, we will do great things together, Urahara Kisuke...great things..."

He returned his focus to the machines that surrounded the examination table, making sure that the readings remained stable as the process continued and Kisuke's exposed belly continued to grow. Finally, a monitor beeped and Aizen smiled as he sensed a new reiatsu, and the vaguest touch of a developing mind. And as he perused the readouts, his smile warmed.

"Yes...you are everything I hoped you would be. But there is a little more we need to do."

He waited until the main screen flashed to indicate the completion of the reiatsu's growth, then leaned over Kisuke again. He caressed the soft skin of his captive's abdomen, watching in wonder as he sent his reiatsu into the man's body and the spirit chamber he had placed slowly opened.

The light around Aizen's hands grew more intense, almost blinding, and he made another soft sigh of approval. The light moved then, rising out of Kisuke's body and curving gently into Aizen's opened arms. He watched closely as the light began to fade, and the cluster solidified and gradually took on the form of a tiny, shinigami baby. The infant gazed up at his father through bright, red-brown eyes and he started to cry softly.

"There now," Aizen said affectionately, "You are all right. You will be fine. I will see that you are taken care of."

He cleaned away the apparatus around Kisuke, then carried him to another room and bound him in kido ropes before leaving him sleeping again.

"I will let you go in the morning," he said quietly, "I will need to monitor you through the night to make sure that there were no ill effects. You see, I still need you, Urahara Kisuke. It wouldn't do at all to have you die now. I thank you. You have given me a wonderful gift. I hope that someday, I can return the favor. We shall see, ne?"

He abandoned the room, leaving several monitors to ensure that he would be kept stable, then returned to the child he had made with their combined essences and reiatsu.

"Now, to you," he told the infant, admiring the baby, "I would like to keep you here, but it would be too dangerous. If anyone discovered just how you were made, you would be destroyed. I want very much to avoid that."

He bundled the baby warmly and carried him out of the laboratory, moving out onto the darkened streets and using his zanpakutou's illusions to make himself unseen. He passed through the Seireitei's guarded gate and walked into the upper Rukongai, then on until he reached the middle districts, before stopping at a small, but homey looking orphanage. He smiled and altered his appearance, then knocked on the door. Soft footsteps sounded on the other side of the door, and then it opened and an old woman peered out.

"Goodness, my dear!" she exclaimed, staring at the image Aizen presented her with of a raggedly dressed and badly beaten young woman, "Come in, come in! You look about to collapse."

"I am s-so sorry, Ma'am," he said in a woman's voice, "P-please, you must take my baby! My husband hurt me and he would have killed the ch-child. But I escaped him and found my way to you. Please...please take my baby. Take my little Ren and care for him!"

The old woman gazed down at the lovely infant's bright red-brown eyes and felt her heart give way instantly.

"I will take care of you both," she promised, accepting the child from her arms, then watching in dismay as she collapsed onto the floor and stopped breathing, "Oh no...Michio! Michio, come quickly!"

Her husband appeared a moment later and dashed to the fallen girl's side, quickly examining her. His power flared around his hands and flowed into her beaten body, but failed to produce any result. Several minutes later, he sighed sadly and leaned over her to close her eyes.

"The poor dear," the old woman whispered, her aged eyes tearing, "That someone could harm a young thing like her...and threaten a mere baby! It's horrible."

"Well," Michio said softly, "We cannot help her now...except by caring for this little one."

"Ren, she said his name was."

"Welcome to our family, Ren," Michio said, touching the infant's cheek and earning a soft, happy gurgle.

XXXXXXXXXX

**(One Hundred Years Later...at the Sixth Division Headquarters)**

Renji looked up as the door to the sixth division opened and a slender noble male with barely behaving waves of raven hair, and lovely sapphire eyes entered the room. He registered Byakuya's absence, then turned his eyes towards the fukutaichou's desk and greeted Renji with a smile.

"Good afternoon, Abarai-san," he greeted the redhead pleasantly, "I am supposed to meet my cousin here. I am sure this is the time he told me to be here..."

"Y-yeah," Renji said, standing, "Well, a message just came that the taichous need more time for strategy formation, so he said that you and I could just go on to Karakura Town and let Ichigo know why he's going to be late. You know they have a date tonight."

"Of course," Tetsuya said, blushing slightly.

"That's right," Renji chuckled, "Of course you do, being his head of security and his bodyguard."

"But if I am in Karakura Town, I cannot very well be guarding him," Tetsuya objected, "I will just..."

He paused as Renji flash stepped in front of him and got between him and the door.

"W-wait just a sec," he said, placing a hand on the slighter man's shoulder and earning a curious and somewhat wary glance from the pretty, sapphire-eyed noble, "Taichou said it was fine. And he said he felt better knowing you would help me out with checking out a few spots where there was some unusual hollow activity."

"Surely a fukutaichou level, and one with a bankai at that could handle such an assignment without an extra tagging along," Tetsuya mused.

"Hey!" Renji laughed, "Those sound like fighting words. You looking to get me riled, Tetsuya-san?"

Tetsuya's blush grew at the redhead's show of familiarity, but although flustered, he couldn't seem to make himself reject the other man's advances.

"You are riled already," he said, trying to escape under one of Renji's arms, only to get tangled up with him and pulled in for a sudden, plundering kiss.

"Abarai-san!" he exclaimed, trying to pull away, "Stop, you shouldn't...!"

"Come on," Renji said, trapping him gently up against the wall and gazing affectionately into the younger man's eyes, "You know I'm really attracted to you."

"I-I know," said the noble, blushing more fiercely, "I just...It is just that..."

"Tetsuya," Renji said, stunning the younger man with the more familiar use of his first name, "I don't mean to be pushy or anything. And if you're not interested in me, all you have to do is tell me that. I'll back off and not say another word if you look me in the eyes and tell me that you don't want to see me romantically. We can still be friends. I just...want there to be...more."

Tetsuya stared back at him breathlessly, struggling for words. Renji closed in again and stopped his words with another long, penetrating kiss that left the lovely noble nearly unable to breathe and held helplessly in the other man's arms. Renji plunged into his mouth again, at the same time pressing forward so that Tetsuya could feel the hot swell of his inflamed arousal through their clothes.

"Abarai-san!" Tetsuya exclaimed softly, "Renji, s-stop!"

Renji paused in his kissing, but continued to keep him trapped up against the wall.

"Are you telling me that you only want to be friends?" Renji asked, looking down into his widened eyes, "Because, when you called me by my first name, just now, it didn't sound that way. What are you telling me, here, Tetsuya?"

Tetsuya hesitated for a moment, then felt his resolve crumble.

"Renji, I..."

The door opened suddenly, and the two broke away from each other as Byakuya entered the room. The taichou's gray eyes quickly took in Tetsuya's widened eyes and piqued expression and he gave Renji a stern look.

"Abarai fukutaichou, were you being less than gentlemanly with my cousin?" he asked, frowning.

"No, Taichou," Renji said quickly, "I was just...erm...telling him that you were running late and we should go on ahead and meet with you in Karkura Town."

"Well, as you see, I am back, so we can go together."

"Great," sighed the redhead, trying to hide his disappointment, "I'm ready to go."

"I am as well, Byakuya-sama," Tetsuya said, recovering slightly, "Arashi is just outside."

"Good," said Byakuya, nodding, "But we will need to make a stop on the way. As it turns out, Ichigo came to see the Eleventh's new group of initiates. I thought that I would go over and meet him there."

"While also looking to deprive my ex-taichou of any talented guys you would rather not see slaughtered before they reach their full potential," chuckled Renji.

"Hmmm," the taichou huffed softly, "Those young men should be made aware, there are ways to grow as fighters that will actually allow them to reach their full potential before they die."

"Hey, I get it," Renji said, good-naturedly, "That's why I'm not still over there, getting bashed up on a daily basis anymore."

"I am glad that you came to your senses and grew out of that," Byakuya said dryly, "Now, you just might live to see the next few hundred years...provided you do not do something stupid, like treat my cousin dishonorably."

"There was no dishonor involved," Renji insisted, "I just asked him to go along to Karakura Town with me. There might have been a few kisses exchanged..."

"Renji-san!" Tetsuya complained, blushing again.

"I think I understand," Byakuya assured his fukutaichou, "And Tetsuya is free to do as his heart tells him. Just bear in mind that he is a member of my house and is to be treated with utmost respect."

"Of course, Taichou!" Renji affirmed, "I would never disrespect Tetsuya-san."

"Would the two of you please stop talking about me as though I'm not here?" Tetsuya objected.

"Come, Tetsuya, Renji," Byakuya said, turning back towards the door, "We should be on our way."

The three left the sixth division, the two nobles riding on the back of Tetsuya's tall, black Arabian stallion. Arashi walked alongside Renji, nipping playfully at the redhead's ponytail every now and again and earning a feigned scowl.

"Would you knock it off, you!" he said, swatting at the beast and making him toss his head and snort derisively, "What's with you guys anyway? All I want here is to go out with Tetsuya. What's the big deal? A little dinner at a nice restaurant. A walk in the moonlight, some harmless kisses. I don't think that's a bad thing."

"I don't mean to be standoffish, Renji-san," Tetsuya said penitently, "I simply haven't seen anyone romantically in a very long time."

"Well then," said the redhead, smiling up at him, "Now's the time to start. Why don't you come down off that big hairy fleabag horse of yours and hold hands with me?"

Tetsuya barely stifled a laugh as Arashi emitted a low, equine growl.

"Just kidding, baka," Renji said, dodging the stallion's teeth as he tried to nip at Renji's hair again, "Knock it off!"

"Well," Byakuya said, an edge of amusement in his voice, "you did insult him."

They reached the eleventh and Byakuya and Tetsuya dismounted, the latter issuing a directive to the stallion to accompany the clan leader. Arashi glowered warningly at Renji, then turned and placed himself at Byakuya's heels.

"You don't think he's really mad at me, do you?" Renji asked, scratching the back of his neck, "Don't want him killing me in my sleep or something."

"Arashi won't hurt you," Tetsuya chuckled, "He is only being protective. He teases you as much as you tease him because he likes you."

"He likes me, huh," the redhead said, sliding an arm around the younger man, then giving him a look of surprise when Tetsuya made no objection, "What about his master? Does he like me too?"

"I think he does," Tetsuya said, blushing, "But Arashi's master is cautious."

"Right. That makes sense, you being a bodyguard. But, I hope that soon you'll feel comfortable with me, Tetsuya. I really think you're beautiful. And if all you'll do is let me put my arm around you sometimes for now, that's okay by me."

Tetsuya stopped walking for a moment and gave Renji a look of genuine gratitude.

"Thank you, Renji-san," he said quietly, "It feels good to be embraced again. I'd almost forgotten."

"Hey," Renji said, his eyes softening, "I know that risking your heart after losing someone is hard. Look at Taichou. He was alone for over fifty years after his wife died, before he confessed his feelings to Ichigo. And even now, they're moving slowly. There's nothing wrong with that."

"It is good to see him happy," Tetsuya said, looking over to where Byakuya and Arashi were approaching the shinigami substitute.

"Hey, Byakuya," Ichigo greeted the noble, smiling and patting Arashi's satin neck as the stallion nickered and nudged him playfully, "Hey Arashi. You bite Renji's ass like I told you to?"

Arashi gave a short, wicked horse laugh.

"Ichigo," Byakuya said, arching an eyebrow, "I would prefer it if you didn't encourage him. He annoys my fukutaichou enough as it is."

"Sorry," Ichigo chuckled, slipping his arms around the clan leader and meeting him for a warm kiss of greeting, "Those two are just too funny."

"Hmmm," Byakuya huffed disapprovingly.

He turned towards the training grounds and the two watched as sparring pairs exchanged blows.

"Is there anyone here needing rescue from that barbarian?"

"The guy on the end over there," Ichigo said quietly, "He's good, but if he doesn't have some guidance, he isn't going to live long enough to get stronger. The girl in the red over there. She's god awful strong but she's holding back on the fact that she's even stronger in kido. Soon as that comes out, they'll hound her to death.

"Mmmm," Byakuya said, watching the two, "They are capable. I think I can seat both of them. I will have the promotions sent. Thank you for assisting me. It annoys me when good talent is wasted on this ridiculous, primeval..."

"I get it," Ichigo laughed, "You wanna go now? Looks like Renji's got Tetsuya's attention for a while."

Byakuya looked over to where the two stood, with Renji's arm around the younger man, watching the sparring and exchanging occasional kisses.

"He looks happy," Byakuya observed, "I am glad for them."

Ichigo started to answer, but froze as the Seireitei alarms began to wail. Byakuya's eyes widened as the memory of the quincies' initial attacks rose up in his mind.

_But their leaders have been annihilated. This is just..._

A shiver went through the two as a stern voice issued through the loudspeakers.

_High priority alert...High priority alert...Prisoner Aizen Sousuke has been reported missing from Muken, Central 46. I repeat. Prisoner Aizen Sousuke has been reported missing from Muken, Central 46. All taichous and fukutaichous please report to your meeting sites for further information._

"Damn," Ichigo breathed, exchanging haunted glances with the clan leader, "That's bad."

"Come with me, Ichigo," Byakuya said, climbing onto Arashi's back and offering him a hand.

Ichigo hopped nimbly onto the stallion's back and wrapped his arms around Byakuya's slender waist, holding on tightly as Arashi plunged into a gallop.

Renji offered Tetsuya a kiss of parting and followed on foot. Tetsuya turned back towards Kuchiki Manor, sending a hell butterfly ahead to put the house staff on alert. All around him, shinigamis swarmed towards their meeting points, the memory of Aizen's past actions all too fresh in their minds.

XXXXXXXXXX

Several miles away, in the mid-Rukongai, Aizen Sousuke smirked at the sound of the Seireitei alarms that rose up in the distance, and he headed for the edge of town. He reached the orphanage quickly and slipped inside, his reclaimed power making him invisible to the ones there. He heard an old woman's voice and his eyes widened at the name she spoke.

"Ren, dear, would you mind picking up a few things for us while you are out?"

"Sure," the young man said agreeably, taking the list from his adoptive mother's hand, "But I think it might be a few hours."

"Oh, no rush," Noa assured him, "Just be careful. Something is amiss in the Seireitei. I heard there was an escape from the Cental 46 prison."

"I'll be careful," the young man promised as Noa captured his lovely face in her hands admiring the bright, red-brown eyes and long, mingled, black and purple tresses, then kissed him on the cheek.

"Go on, now," she urged him.

Ren slipped out of the house, into the suddenly too quiet street and made his way towards the town center. He felt an inner sense of disquiet and looked around, frowning.

_That's odd. I thought that I felt malevolent eyes watching me._

He stood for a moment, sensing the area around him and finding nothing. He loosed a sigh and chalked it up to being unnerved over the alert, then took a step forward.

A moment later, he felt a shock pass through his body and heard a soft, chilling voice that seemed to invade his mind.

_It has been a long time...to long, Aizen Ren._

He went into an oddly slow fall, losing consciousness as strong arms caught him and lifted him off his feet. A garganta opened in front of the two and Aizen stepped inside, leaving the rattled Seireitei forces behind.


	2. Awakening

**Chapter 2: Awakening**

**(Sorry for being out of touch and not doing shout-outs this time, but I have sinusitis and am on antibiotics and pain medication the sinus pain is so horrible. But, thanks so much to everyone reading and reviewing! I will catch up on thank yous next time. Enjoy the chapter. Love, Spunky)**

"I owe you an apology," Aizen said dulcetly as he adjusted the bindings on the young man that he had abducted and then carried into Hueco Mundo, "Actually, I owe you several."

He turned to face the computer and his fingers gracefully stroked the keys as he continued.

"I suppose I must first apologize for doing the unnatural to create you. Perhaps I should have just made the attempt to court your 'mother' but Urahara Kisuke, at the time, was not of a mindset to do such a thing. He was already suspicious, and with good reason, ne? Others might have felt uncomfortable in my presence, but he didn't just feel uncomfortable, he suspected that I was not what I appeared to be at all. It was a sort of _Catch 22. _I required someone of high intelligence...intelligence equal to or exceeding my own, in order to make you. However, one of such a high mental caliber would also see through my machinations, and so needed to be subdued before making too many connections. It was like a game of chess, waiting for Kisuke to offer me an opening. But that man has an Achilles' heel I don't. You are of highly intelligent parents, so you might understand. Let me see if I can explain it to you."

The computer in front of him beeped and whirred, expelling a written report that stole him from his monologue for several minutes, then brought an approving smile to his lips.

"Fascinating," he said softly.

He blinked slowly, then looked back at the young man, rose, and returned to his side.

"As I was saying," he went on, "The weakness that Urahara Kisuke has is his inescapable desire to protect chosen others. He protects Kurosaki Ichigo and his friends, his former comrades, the vizards, Shihoin Yoruichi, and the list goes on. This is not to say that 'caring' for another is wrong. It is that he misinterprets what 'caring for' and 'protecting' really mean. When I left the Seireitei with Gin and Tousen, I chose them specifically to serve me. You could say that I 'cared' for them. Indeed, I concealed them in Las Noches and made certain that when we returned for the final battles, they were not only in their best condition, but were well prepared for what steps the enemy would take. I improved their abilities and raised their power so that they could do what I intended for them to do."

He paused and closed his eyes for a moment, a flash vision of Gin's death flickering in his mind.

"You might ask why those men are dead...if, indeed, I 'cared' for them and 'protected' them. Listen closely, Ren. See if you can understand. We all come to life with a fate. Some believe that one's fate is predestined, while others believe that we set the course with our decisions, and still others believe in a melding of both. I say that it does not matter how one gains a fate, but that he pursues it relentlessly, once he knows what it is. I pursued the throne. Gin wanted to kill me. Tousen longed to be the hand of justice. And through our endeavors as comrades, we put ourselves in the path of those fates."

Aizen's lips curved slightly upward.

"I knew that Gin wanted to kill me, and I found a way to use him to move me in the direction of my own goals. Tousen too, I used, even while giving him a way to pursue his justice. We did not form a nakama, nor did we interfere in each others' battles. Had one of them died early, I would have gone on uninhibited, because while binding our energies and moving towards our goals, we did not become dependent on each other. That is where 'caring' and 'protecting' become foolish things."

He paused as Ren's breathing roughened for a moment and he moaned uncomfortably. A touch of reiatsu deepened his state of unconsciousness and Aizen continued.

"Have I ever mentioned, Kuchiki Byakuya? He is a wonderful example of a supremely powerful and talented shinigami, an experienced strategist and taichou, who foolishly cared, and weakened himself because of it. When the quincies attacked the Seireitei, Byakuya went off to battle the quincy As Nodt, with his comrade and friend, Abarai Renji at his side and his beloved sister, Rukia fighting nearby. But the quincy already knew of his weakness. And even had that data not revealed his protectiveness, As Nodt's power revealed it. Kuchiki Byakuya, the man who would have seen his own sister executed to protect his clan's pride before, had grown a heart...and As Nodt was perfectly happy to break it for him. Byakuya fell under the power of his own bankai and nearly paid for his foolishness with his life. I am sure that when he woke and had a second chance, he grew a bit wiser. He has since dwelt less on protecting his loved ones and more on making them more able to take care of themselves. It is a step in the right direction, but it falls short. Instead of worrying about whether they live or die, he should look at who they are, and how they can best achieve their fates, and help him to reach his. And if they fall, he should be sad at their passing before they could achieve their fates, but he should not throw down his own usefulness to save them. That would be a waste. I hope that you will never be that foolish."

A gentle tapping on the door to the lab made Aizen look up and fix his brown eyes on the door. A moment later it opened, admitting a golden-haired and buxom female hollow. Aizen smiled at her and nodded.

"Harribel," he said quietly.

The hollow's lips tightened rebelliously, but she nodded curtly.

"The shinigamis are nearing the fortress," she reported, "I am more than certain that they are here for you. Given that they did assist us in overcoming the quincies, we owe them. You had best gather your things and leave this place. We have no interest in creating new hostilities."

"I told you not to worry," Aizen said easily, "I am undetectable in this lab. In fact, you, yourself, are only able to reach it because I have chosen to allow it. Just tell the shinigamis that you don't know where I am. No one but you knows it isn't true."

"You want me to lie for you?" Harribel growled, "You...!"

"Calm down," Aizen said softly, "You don't want to make me have to remind you why I became your leader before, nor why you have no choice but to follow me now. Here...let me offer you some relief from the stress. I wouldn't want you to give anything away to them."

"Aizen, don't you dare...!" Harribel began, reaching for her sword.

Aizen gave her an icy smile, invoking his shikai silently, then watching as the lady hollow blinked several times, then shook her head to clear, and walked out of the room.

"Ah, much better," he sighed, turning back to the young man he had been examining.

He froze, staring, upon realizing that the bonds that had been holding his captive down were now empty and Ren was gone.

"Impossible," Aizen whispered, then he caught himself, "But no, one of our making would be able to do this. I underestimated you because of the fact that I sealed your greater powers before giving you to those peasants."

He shook his head and sighed.

"I had best find you before the shinigamis see you. It would be problematic for them to find you before you are properly educated in using your abilities."

He slipped out of the room, using his shikai to conceal him as he searched the hallways. The sound of voices drifted into the hallway from the nearby throne room.

"I am sorry, Kuchiki taichou," Harribel's solemn voice said calmly, but we have seen no sign of Aizen Sousuke. I would imagine that if he left you a trail to follow here, then he must have done so to cause a disagreement between us. You and your group are free to search the fortress, if you wish, but do not harass the hollow protectors here. We fought hard and many of our soldiers died to win peace. Do not do anything that will bring us back to a state of war."

"I have no plans to do that," Byakuya agreed, "We will accept your gracious offer to allow us to search the fortress and we will take care not to harm the protectors here, unless they attack us."

"Ah...such harmony," Aizen muttered, smirking as he continued past the throne room, reaching out with his senses and searching for his escaped captive's reiatsu, "Come now, Ren. You should not have done this. I would hate for you to die too soon."

XXXXXXXXXX

"You know, we may be at peace with the hollows for now, but I still don't trust them," Renji said discontentedly as Byakuya led them out of the throne room and into a maze of hallways.

"I'm with Renji," Ichigo said, shaking his head firmly, "That asshole, Grimmjow, still tries to pick fights with me every time we bump into each other."

"I haven't had the dubious pleasure of meeting Grimmjow," said Tetsuya, "However, I do know that, despite his poor manners, he did play a significant role in defeating the quincies."

"Yeah, he did," Renji said, scowling, "But it didn't change the guy's nasty personality."

"Come now," Byakuya said, frowning, "This is not the time to be worrying about such things. We need to locate Aizen quickly, before he is able to unseal the hougyoku and start all of that nonsense again!"

"Right, Taichou!" Renji agreed, falling in with Tetsuya on one side of the clan leader, while Ichigo took up a position on the other side.

They proceeded through the hallways and searched the open rooms, scanning the locked ones carefully as well. The hollows they encountered all greeted them warily, and none challenged them. But even without impediments, searching even just the main tower of the fortress was an arduous task. They proceeded for several hours, carefully searching every corner, nook and cranny. Finally, Byakuya called a halt and the group stopped to rest briefly.

"That room appears to be empty," Byakuya said, nodding in the direction of a spacious lounge, "Come, let us..."

He paused, staring in surprise, as he turned into the room and almost tripped over the unconscious body of a young man.

"What the hell?" Ichigo breathed, as Tetsuya and Renji exchanged curious glances, and Byakuya bent over the young man's motionless form.

XXXXXXXXX

_What happened to me? Why can't I move? _Ren wondered, _I remember leaving home, but...something happened on the way. Yeah. That man. I just got a little glimpse, and I had no chance to counter when he struck. I may be nearly powerless except for a little healing ability, but I'm usually fast enough to make a quick strike and get away. At least, I always could before. What happened? Where am I?_

A voice trickled down into the haze around him and he registered that it seemed to be the same as the one that had addressed him as he was losing consciousness.

_He said something, but I was too out of it to understand. I wish I could open my eyes. Maybe if I saw him, I would know who he is and why he grabbed me. Michio and Noa don't have much money and their only power is healing power. I don't think it could be about them. If they owed someone money, I would have just been beaten and returned as a warning. But this...it seems like it might be about me. Why? I'm no one. I'm powerless except for that bit of healing ability and some oddities about my dreams. I don't know who my mother was. She told Michio and Noa that she was running away from her abusive husband, then she died. Could this be him, then? Could this be my father? But why would it have taken him so long to find me? And why would he choose now to abduct me? What is this really about?_

Ren quieted his mind and found with time that he could pick up something of what the man was saying, although the little bit he could understand didn't make great amounts of sense. He shivered inwardly when he heard the names 'Gin' and 'Kuchiki Byakuya.' They were names that had permeated most of the Rukon as men not to be trifled with. Gin was a dead traitor, who had been a powerful taichou. And although Byakuya had nearly died in the quincy invasion, he had emerged from the war even more frighteningly powerful. He had heard, too, that the Kuchiki leader was close with the hero, Shiba Ichigo. This person, then, must not be his father, he supposed, but whoever he was, if he had anything to do with the ones he was speaking of, then he was a deadly sort.

Ren felt the man moving closer and made his body perfectly still, letting his mind go blank as well as the man's cool fingers opened his clothing and he could feel the man's eyes slowly peruse his slender, tanned body.

"Interesting," the man murmured as his fingers traced a bit of the ebony dragon tattoo that ran around his throat.

It took the young man considerable effort not to flinch or inhale too sharply as the man's fingers followed the snake tattoo that wove sensuously around his waist and hips. The man's hands left his body for a moment, then he felt those invasive fingers capture a long strand of his purple tipped, ebony hair, and had to force himself into a lower state of awareness to avoid giving away that he was conscious.

He heard a tapping sound and the man left his side to converse with someone who seemed to be female and rough mannered. Ren managed to crack an eye open and watched for a moment, then took a steadying breath and put his lowly skills to work.

_It's not common knowledge, but when I was a child and times were rough, I developed some survival skills that Michio and Noa would rather not know about. I knew it was wrong to steal, but it was more of a weight for me to be a burden on them. So while I was little and couldn't do much else, I learned all I could about being stealthy and escaping bad situations. The dragon tattoo was the mark of the gang leader I defeated to avoid being inducted into the street gangs and the snake around my hips was a warning that although I look weak, I know how to fight._

_Fight and escape, the two things I learned to stay alive._

He smirked as he made easy work of the bindings, which his abductor had been somewhat careless with, probably thinking it would be longer before he woke. His body felt strange as he rose and ducked behind the examination table he had been on. It seemed to hum with some kind of unusual vibration. And as his captor turned and looked at the empty examinations table, the vibration seemed to swell all around him.

_What is this? _Ren wondered, staring as the man reacted as though he didn't see him, even as he looked him in the eyes, _Am I...doing this to him? How does he not see me?_

The very air around the two seemed to shift and Ren found himself standing on an unfamiliar rise, looking down into a lake that reflected his image. The image rippled and very slowly began to change as he watched. Ren gasped as the face in the water became someone else's, a tall, slender man with an aristocratic face and deep, hypnotic green eyes.

_Who are you? _the reflection asked him, _How did you enter our inner world?_

"What?" he gasped, backing away and shaking his head in confusion, "What do you mean? I don't have an inner world! I'm not a shinigami. At most, I am a simple healer!"

_You stand before me and yet you want me to believe that? _the green-eyed man said, _No one has ever come here without our permission. One does not invade the inner world of Aizen Sousuke without an invitation!_

"Aizen Sousuke!" Ren gasped, backing away from the water and looking around questioningly.

_How have you done this? _the man on the water's surface demanded, _Why can I not make contact with my master! WHO ARE YOU!_

Ren turned and froze as he found himself facing the brown-eyed man he had glimpsed earlier. He fled immediately, noting suddenly that a doorway had opened up in front of him, just as he had desired.

_Oh my, _Aizen chuckled softly, _I seem to have very much underestimated you. And allowing your powers to begin to manifest without better securing you was careless. It's just been so long since anyone with real intelligence faced me. Aizen Razhah Ketsuekibara, you are very, very interesting. Now, why don't you come back and let me have a look at you? It's been a while...since the day you were born, actually..._

"Leave me alone, you freak!" Ren screamed, launching himself through the doorway that had opened up ahead of him, "Stay the hell away from me!"

He felt a shock pass through his body and he went limp and started to lose consciousness as he tumbled through the doorway and crashed down into blackness.


	3. Invasion

**Chapter 3: Invasion**

**(Thanks so very much to all of the sweet well wishers! You are the best healing shot I could imagine. My gratitude to Henka-chan, the genius who suggested this very fun departure from my norm, as well as the character, Ren. I am having a great time developing him. Thanks also to Shenigmatic (I am growing a sweet little addiction to this one.), Nyma (I won't keep you waiting too long.), Sakurayuri89 (Oh, the fun of the unexpected twists and turns!), Emmagem803 (I agree wholeheartedly! It's important to try new things, and this is really different.), Purple Light Snow (Yeah, I worried about that, but I think readers will adjust. Renji and Ren will interact and find that they have a few things in common.), MissLilly2012 (Credit for creating Ren goes to Henka-chan, but I am creating his powers and zanpakutou, so it's a blending of talents, and completely enjoyable!), SunlessNights (Yup! It's Bya/Ichigo/Ren with a side of feisty Renji/Tetsuya!), xazur3x (Here you go!), Aizenfan6969 (I am already considering! Just need a good storyline. Can anyone think of one?), Kittykins (You've got it!), and Winterheart2000 (Ah, more for you and more is coming!), Picklez80 (Thanks! *hugs*). Enjoy the chapter! Love, Spunky)**

Ren shivered in his sleep, Aizen's voice whispering into his mind and making odd images flash before his eyes.

_Aizen Rhazhah Ketsuekibara..._

The very name sent a wicked chill up and down his spine.

_Why did he call me that? _Ren wondered, _Is it my real name? And if it is, how would he know it? I live below the districts where personal records are kept. The only ones Soul Society keeps track of here are the exceptionally powerful people, or people who have been in significant trouble with them. I have no great powers, and I know of nothing that a powerful enemy like Aizen Sousuke would want. Still, there must be a reason he sought me out. Why? I have heard that he wields illusions. Could he have somehow been involved in my coming to Michio and Noa in the Rukongai? What is going on here?_

He felt an unfamiliar, but stoic presence near him and worked one flickering red-brown eye open, then the other. The eyes that looked back at him were depthless and steel gray, and the man's face was like that of an angel. He blinked slowly, watching as Ren regained awareness and looked around the room they were in. The room looked comfortable, though not overly luxurious, made for comfort more than for display.

_My kind of place, _he thought wryly, fixing his eyes on the man at his bedside, then noticing a younger and more expressive face with golden brown eyes peeking out from unruly, short ginger strands of slightly spiked hair.

"Wh-where is this place?" Ren asked unsteadily, blinking several more times to make his surroundings register more clearly, "Who are you?"

"We were about to ask you the same question," the younger man said in a friendly, curious tone, "But let me introduce myself. I'm Ichigo, and this is my friend, Byakuya."

Ren was careful to show no sign of recognition of the names, but sat up and accepted Ichigo's hand in greeting.

"I am Ren," he told them, "I am from District forty-seven of the Rukongai. Where have you taken me? How did we get here?"

"We found you collapsed in a room in Las Noches," Byakuya said quietly, "It is a curious thing, a peasant of the Rukongai being in that place. The governer, Harribel, said that she did not know you, nor did she know how you came to be there. We thought, at first, that you might be Aizen Sousuke, attempting to fool us. But Ichigo would have known an illusion placed by that man, as would my cousin. Neither have seen Aizen's shikai. But even if you are not Aizen Sousuke, your appearance in Las Noches around the time of his escape is suspicious. So, why don't you tell us what you were doing in Las Noches."

Warning bells sounded in Ren's Rukon-educated mind and he knew better than to reveal anything significant. He gave the two men a tenuous smile and shook his head.

"It's the strangest thing," he said slowly, "I don't remember ever being in Las Noches. I left my home and was going into town, shopping for my parents. They run an orphanage there, and my dad is also the town's healer. I remember walking towards town and I was thinking about the things that I had to remember to get. The next thing I knew, I was waking up here. I don't remember anything about Las Noches. I can't cross into Hueco Mundo. I have no powers."

He saw instantly, the dark reaction in Byakuya and Ichigo's eyes, then remembered waking in Las Noches and feeling that strange vibration in his body.

"Why would you say that?" Byakuya asked, frowning, "It is more than obvious that you have shinigami powers, though what they are is something you would have to explain. After all, we cannot penetrate your inner world."

"There wouldn't be anything to see," Ren answered honestly, "I don't have an inner world...at least I didn't last I remember."

Ichigo and Byakuya exchanged curious glances.

"Byakuya," said the younger man, "Could his powers have caused him to be transported to Las Noches somehow? I've heard of some people with unusual powers like that. Could it be something that developed recently and activated on its own?"

"I do not know," Byakuya confessed, "But I find it odd that he so brazenly states something so obviously a lie. Anyone could tell he has shinigami powers, and yet he has denied it. Why?"

"I'm sorry," Ren said, lowering his eyes respectfully, "I am trying to be honest with you. Up until now, I have been almost powerless. I was able to learn some healing spells so that I could be helpful to my father. But I have never had any significant powers...really!"

"I can see that you believe that," Byakuya said in a disapproving tone, "But whatever the case, we do need to establish your identity."

He paused for a moment, considering his words.

"But they don't keep records below the forty-fifth district," Byakuya said, meeting Ren's eyes questioningly, "We attempted to see if you were in Central 46's database, but you appear to have never crossed paths with the law."

_Or I just wasn't ever caught doing anything worth getting arrested over, _Ren thought, smirking inwardly.

"You said that your father is the town healer?" asked Ichigo.

"Yes. He and my mother..."

"Run an orphanage," Byakuya finished, "You told us that. I will dispatch my fukutaichou to verify you are who you have told us you are."

"But wait," said Ren, "Aren't you going to let me go too? I mean, I can go home, right? I haven't done anything wrong."

"You haven't been accused of a crime," Byakuya agreed, "but being 'off the grid' and difficult to trace, we are required to hold you here until we are given permission to return you to the Rukongai. A comrade of ours has sent pictures of you, samples of blood and reiatsu and results of a scan he took, so that we can learn more about you."

"What's there to know?" Ren complained, "I'm just a Rukon orphan! I'm nobody important! Why are you keeping me here?"

"Hey," Ichigo said in a bracing tone, "Don't take this all the wrong way. We just need to know if there was a reason why you were there...if maybe somebody, I don't know, kidnapped you and took you there or something. You say you don't remember going there or being there. You had to get there somehow."

"The scans we took of your body may reveal if someone else was in contact with you," Byakuya informed him calmly, "I would think you would be interested in knowing what we find. If you were abducted or if your newly emerged powers transported you there, we should be able to make a determination of things and perhaps people you came into contact with."

Ren's heart quickened as he remembered Aizen's cool fingers exploring his tattoos.

"L-look," he said, letting his body tremble so that they would think he was more scared than he felt, "I didn't do anything. Please, I just want to go home. My folks are probably worried out of their minds! I have to go and let them see I am all right. Please!"

"Don't be scared," Ichigo said, smiling reassuringly, "We can have Renji and Tetsuya deliver a message to your folks, and you will be able to go home as soon as Kisuke has the results of the stuff he did here."

"There is another reason that you may want to reconsider rushing back to your home," Byakuya suggested solemnly.

"Why?"

"You said that you don't know if you were abducted or if your own developing powers may have caused you to be transported to Las Noches."

"Yeah?"

"If it was your own powers, then you might want to spend some time here, in a safe environment, getting familiar with them," the noble suggested.

"And if you were abducted," Ichigo added, "Going home might just bring your abductor back for another try. I've been in that position before. I get how frustrated you must feel. But, in addition to delivering your message and checking with your folks about your identity, Tetsuya and Renji are going to stay there and watch over them until you are brought back."

"They are...powerful?" Ren asked worriedly, "I don't want anything bad to happen to them, especially not because of someone coming after me! Please, you must make sure they are safe!"

"My fukutaichou and my cousin are both taichou level shinigamis," Byakuya assured him, "They will be capable protectors. Do not worry."

"If you're feeling better, you can come and have something to eat."

"I am starving," Ren said, laying a hand on his stomach.

Then, he paled.

"I barely ever felt hunger before," he whispered, frowning, "I _must_ have some emerging powers. But why now? Why this way?"

"Sometimes we don't know why," Byakuya answered calmly, "But after you have eaten, we can begin to look into your abilities and see what power is forming in you."

"Okay," Ren said, taking a steadying breath as Ichigo helped him to his feet.

He took a step, then wobbled and collapsed breathlessly into Ichigo's arms.

"You okay?" Ichigo asked, looking concerned.

"F-fine," Ren managed as the Shiba heir helped him back into bed, "I just got dizzy."

"I will go and have someone bring you something to eat," Byakuya said, rising, "Ichigo will remain with you until Urahara Kisuke arrives."

"Ah. All right," Ren sighed, settling back against the pillow, "Thank you."

He watched as Byakuya left, then looked up at Ichigo.

"I think I have heard of him," he said, glancing in the direction the noble had gone, "He is Kuchiki taichou, ne? I heard about Abarai Renji and him in the aftermath of the quincy war. I heard of you as well. Why are powerful people like you taking such an interest in me? Did you really think that I was Aizen Sousuke in disguise?"

"I wouldn't put it past him," Ichigo mused, shaking his head, "He is really sly. He outsmarted everyone but Kisuke before. He's a really dangerous man, who needs to be put back in prison, where he belongs."

"I agree," said Ren, nodding, "And if I knew anything that would be of help, then I would certainly tell you. I don't, though. I don't know anything."

"I believe you," Ichigo said bracingly, "It's just that we have a lot of questions that need answering before we can assume that it's safe to let you go back. Just sit tight, okay? I know it's hard, but it's also the right thing to do."

"Very well," Ren conceded, his head bowing slightly in surrender, "I will stop troubling you about it. I just...feel strange...you know, being away from my home. I've never been here or Las Noches before. I've hardly even left my own district all of my life."

"You...said you are an orphan?" Ichigo queried, "Do you know anything about your parents? Could this have something to do with them?"

Ren considered the question carefully.

"I don't think so," he concluded in a frustrated tone, "Michio and Noa only told me that my mother appeared at the door one night. She had been badly beaten. She said that her husband, my father, had done it, and that she was afraid he would hurt me. She gave me to them and then she died. They planned to raise me as just another orphan, but Noa felt so bad for me that she convinced Michio to adopt me formally."

"You don't think your dad had anything to do with it, do you?" Ichigo asked.

"I don't think so. I don't know why he would show up now, even if he figured out where I was. I never heard of him being anyone important. I do know that I don't ever want to meet him."

The two looked up as the bedroom door opened and Kisuke and Byakuya entered, wearing frowns.

"What is it?" Ren asked, "Did you find something on the scans?"

"Nothing but a sign of some really screwed up results," sighed the shopkeeper, "And I nearly passed out when it identified you as Aizen Sousuke's kid."

"What?" Ren gasped, his eyes rounding.

"Take it easy," Kisuke chuckled, "There was obviously something wrong with the sample, because when I used my blood and reiatsu to compare the results, you registered as my kid too."

"What? But, how is that possible?" Ren mused.

"It's not," Kisuke assured him, "Something just got crossed in the samples or the computer flipped out. I'm running a diagnostic and will send fresh samples through. We'll also check those against what Kurotsuchi taichou discovers in his study at the twelfth. Don't worry about it. Just get some food into you and rest some more. Maybe tomorrow we can take a closer look at you and help you figure out your ability."

"Oh...yes," Ren said, settling back against the pillow and accepting a tray of food from the shopkeeper. He took a bite of the stew and paused, blinking at the wonderful taste.

"How is it?" Kisuke asked.

"It's wonderful!" Ren exclaimed, unable to resist taking additional bites and sopping some up with the fresh, warm bread on the tray, "Noa is a great cook, but this is as good as hers, if not even better."

"It's one of my buddy, Tessai's recipe's...not just good to the taste buds, it also ramps up the reiatsu and puts you in top form. By morning, you should feel like a new man! Then, like I said, we'll see what your new power can do."

"Thank you. I am glad. I'm really wondering about it. It's just strange that it only came to me now."

"It is sometimes known to happen," said Byakuya, studying him intently for a moment, "A multitude of factors have been known to affect the development of a connection with one's zanpakutou."

"That reminds me," said Kisuke, "Has your weapon appeared yet?"

"No," Ren answered, shaking his head, "I just...I feel a sort of humming or vibration inside."

"Yeah, that's your spirit centers awakening. It's interesting, though."

"Oh?"

"I saw signs that there may have been some kind of seal on your powers. And with the fact that you may have been abducted, it seems that someone might have grabbed you to remove the seal. Only problem is, we don't know who put that seal on, who took it off, or if we're heading up the wrong road altogether. But don't agonize over it. We'll figure things out. just eat that up and get some rest, okay? If you need anything during the night, there'll be someone by your door to help you out."

_Hmmm, a nice way of warning me that there will be a guard..._

Ren nodded briefly, then dug into the food. He relaxed as the others left the room and finished everything he had been given. As soon as he was done, he slipped out of bed and looked out the window. He appeared to be at the end of a row of houses that doubled as shops, near the edge of a park that ran along a river.

_I have to get out of here._

_I'm not stupid enough to buy that the test results were screwed up. It's starting to make horrid sense to me now. Aizen Sousuke is my father. He just messed with my reiatsu when he had me in Las Noches. He unsealed my powers and probably had plans for me that I don't even want to think about. If they find out I'm his kid, they'll probably kill me for that fact alone! Why in kami's name did that bastard come back to find me? What does he want? And how will I prevent him from finding me? I have a power that worked on him, but he will not give up. He will soon suspect I was found by those others, and he will come here looking for me!_

_I can't let him find me!_

He heard footsteps approaching the door and slid back into bed as the man called Tessai arrived and took his tray.

"Thank you," Ren said gratefully, "That was delicious. I feel much better now."

"I'm glad," Tessai said, smiling at him, "Go ahead and get some sleep, now."

"I will."

He watched the man leave, then burst from the bed and moved to the window. He realized quickly that it was kido touched to prevent him leaving without the shop's occupants knowing. Smirking, his swiftly manipulated the reiatsu around it, allowing him to open the window. He waited until he was sure that his attempt had been successful, then he climbed out the window and dropped down onto the grass in the front yard.

"That was easy..." he chuckled to himself, starting across the lawn.

A moment later, Ren went perfectly still, staring wide-eyed as a tall, black Arabian stallion flash stepped into view in front of him.

"H-holy shit..." he breathed, "Where did you come from?"

The horse glared back at him through widened, sapphire eyes and stamped a delicate foot, warningly.

"Oh, you're with them," Ren said, looking around, "Are you a guard?"

The stallion lifted his head and whinnied loudly, prompting a quick response from the ones in the house. Strangely, Ren maintained an air of calm as they carefully positioned themselves around him.

"Eh...the room was stuffy. I just...needed some fresh air," he said, forcing his body to remain calm and alert, "Sorry. I didn't mean to cause trouble."

"It's not a good idea for you to be out and about," said Kisuke, "What, with maybe having a criminal after you. Come on back inside, Ren."

"Right," Ren sighed, letting out a frustrated breath.

His brow furrowed as he suddenly remembered entering Aizen's inner world and escaping him that way. He turned his head slightly and looked up at Arashi, willing himself into the stallion's inner world. He almost laughed as he heard the others make exclamations of surprise and dismay as he disappeared. Their dismay turned to utter shock as Arashi suddenly squealed and began to fade away.

"Arashi, what is happening?" Byakuya cried, flash stepping forward.

"Damn!" Kisuke hissed, "And with Tetsuya with Renji in the Rukongai, we don't know what happened to him."

"I think that we just received a first look at that young man's power," Byakuya said darkly, "He was able to overcome Arashi in an instant. We must find them quickly!"

"Can you get a direction on them?" asked Ichigo, looking around.

Byakuya focused carefully, turning this way and that, then shaking his head worriedly.

"I can sense nothing...nothing at all."

"Byakuya, what are you saying?" Ichigo demanded, "What happened to them?"

"I don't know," Byakuya confessed, his lips tightening with concern, "I cannot sense Arashi or the boy at all!"


End file.
